Method and apparatus for drying liquids and semiliquid materials



Feb. 16, 1932.

J. C. MaCLACHLAN 'METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING LIQUIDS AND SEMILIQUID MATERIALS 2 Sheets-Sheet i 1 Filed March 6, 1926 www Feb. 16, 1932. J. c. MaCLAcHLAN l, 5,163Y

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING L:TQUIDS vAND SEMILIQUID MATERIALS Filed March 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 16, 1932 PATENT oFFlc JOHN C. MACLACHLAN, OF CHICAGO, Il'.l`.1'.1\TO]Sy METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING LIQUIDS AND SEMILIQUID MATERIALS Y, Application led March 6, 1926. Serial No. 92,751.

This method relates to a'method and apparatus for drying liquids or semi-liquids and in producing a dried product of very finely divided form. It is now common pracn tice to dry milk, buttermilk and other liquid and semi-liquid substances, such as blood, various meat products and cereal products.

i It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and efficient drying apparatus in which the materials are quickly and eiciently dried and finely divided.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a drying apparatus or cabinet in which the material is centrifugally sprayed adjacent the top and into which air is directed both at the top and the bottom. p

It is a further object of the invention to provide a drying apparatus or cabinet in which the material is centrifugally sprayed 2o and in which air is introduced adjacent the top at circumferentially spaced points and which has means for directing a whirl of air upwardly therein adjacent the bottom thereof.

.lt is still another object of the invention to provide a drying apparatus or cabinet in which thematerial is centrifugally sprayed and which has means adjacent the top and bottom for introducing air and which has anoutlet means for the air intermediate the means for introducing the air.

1t is also an object of the invention to provide an improved method of handling and drying liquid and semi-liquid material.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a drying apparatus r cabinet having means adjacent the top for centrifugally introducing the material into the cabinet to spray the same in finely divided condition and in an umbrella-like shower, circumferentially spaced means for directing air downwardly through said shower, and a centrally disposed means adjacent the bottom cf the cabinet .for directing a whirl of air upwardly through the material, said apparatus or cabinet having outlet. means for the air and material above said last mentioned means.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fuly set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section through @e the apparatus, taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section shown en on an enlarged scale;

4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows, but taken above rack;

j Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the et line 5 5 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, an apparatus is shown comprising a casing or'cabinet 10 'z5 extending between several lioors 11, 12, 13 and 14 of a building. While the cabinet may be of various shapes, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, it is shown as cylindrical in shape between the floors 13 and 14. 80 At the top of the cabinet and centrally thereof the same has projecting thereinto a centrifugal distributingl means 15 having a {iaring and serrated disk 16 at its bottom from which the material is thrown out centrifuc5 gally a'nd downwardly and beaten or divided into very fine condition. While various forms of distributing and beating mechanisrn might be used, one preferred form is that shown and described in the patent to an John M. MacLachlan, granted December 11,

192e, No. 1,476,761.

The cabinet 10 has a diagonally extending and annular'. partition 17 at its upper and outer portion extending between its vertical e5 wall and top and forming an air distributing chamber 18. Chamber 18 is supplied with air through a conduit 9 having a flared end por-tion 9a where it enters the chamber 18.

The partition 17 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes 17 a therethrough through which air passes into cabinet 10. A vertically extending and cylindrical curtain 19 is provided carried upon a rod or pipe 20 passing through and supported in a plurality of circumferentially spaced brackets 21. The brackets 21 have inwardly and horizontally extending shafts or pintles 22 at their upper ends on which are revolubly mounted the rollers 23. Said rollers 23 are supported and adapted to move on an angle shaped track 24 supported at spaced points from partition 17 by the arms 24a. The track 24 is provided as spaced portions adjacent the rollers 23 with a plurality of bumps or pointed projections 24?). The curtain structure is also provided at one side with a curved rack 25a extending between a pair of bearings 21 with which rack a pinion 25 is adapted to mesh carried on a shaft 26 extending through the side of cabinet 10 and through a bearing 27 secured thereto. The shaft 26 has its outer end squared and adapted to receive a crank by which it and pinionv 25 may be turned; The curtain 19 extends down substantially-throughout the cylindrical portion of cabinet 10.

Between the floors 12 and 13, the cabinet is illustrated as substantially square in form and, adjacent the bottom of this portion and at the center thereof, is disposed an inverted conical air distributing member 28 having a plurality of curved and downwardly and inwardly tapering blades 28a thereon. The member 28 is mounted in a rectangular frame 29 made of a comparatively narrow at bar and the open upper end of an air supplying conduit 30 is disposed directly and centrally beneath the member 28. Above the member 28 and, as illustrated, slightly above the center of the portion of cabinet 10 between floors 12 and 13, are arranged a multiplicity of cireumferentially spaced openings 10a. These openings, as shown in Fig. 2, are disposed in three sides of the cabinet and communicate with chambers 31 immediately adjacent the outer sides of the cabinet. The chambers 31, at their outer sides, communicate with screen chambers 32 through V- shaped openings 33 disposed betwen the V- shaped partitions 34. The lV-shaped openings 33 extend between upwardly inclined screens 35 and the spaces between adjacent pairs of screens 35 extend toward each other at the bottom communicating with exhaust air passages 36 disposed above the chamber 32 from which lead the exhaust pipes 37. The exhaust pipes l37 have therein the dampers 38 having the operating handles 38a at the exterior of said pipes by which they can be adjusted and held in various positions. An exhaust air conduit 39 communicates with all of the exhaust pipes 37, which exhaust conduit 39 will be connected to some suitable fan or blower. The space below ladjacent screens 35 which diverge toward their bottoms extends down to the tloor-12 and the wall 40 forms an outer wall of the chambers 32a-nd is, in one sense, the outer wall of the cabinet. The lower portion of the cabinet between floors 11 and 12 is divided into a plurality ofJ bins 10b, being shown as four in number and of inverted pyramidal shape.

In operation, the liquid or semi-liquid material will be delivered into the top of the distributor 15. The material is thrown out against the plate 16 which is rotated at exceedingly high speed, preferably by a steam turbine, and the materialc is projected in finely divided condition in an umbrella-like shower. Heated air is supplied to the blower conduits 9 and 30 and heated air thus passes into the air chamber 18 and is projectedv downwardly through the holes 17a. This air passes downwardly through the projected shower of material. At the same time, a strong blast .of air is delivered upwardly through conduit 30, which air encountering the distributor 28, is given a whirling or helical motion as it moves upwardly. The material which passes downwardly from the upper portion of chamber 10 thus meets this upwardly moving whirling blast of air and is carried in a whirl thereby and its downward movement somewhat arrested, the material thus being very finely divided and, being mixed with the heated air, is quickly and etticiently dried. Some of the material descends into the bins 10b and is efficiently discharged through the outlets at the bottom thereof, the air whirl moving in the central part of the cabinet expands as it rises and passes out through the openings 10a into the chambers 31. More of the material will be precipitated to the floor 12in this chamber and the air passes from chambers 31 through the V- shaped space 33 upwardly through the screens 35 and into the exhaust passage 36. Any material still carried by the air when it passes through the screens 35 will be separated from the air thereby. Screens 35 are made of fine cloth or fabric. The air then passes through t-he pipes 37 and is discharged through the exhaust conduit 39. The travel of air can be adjusted and the same regulated at various points by the dampers 38. In drying some materials, such as cooked ground cereal, the same is often thrown such a distance in the cabinet as to .strike against the walls and some of the material, if not completely dried, tends to adhere to the walls. The curtain 19 is provided to receive any such material and the material can be easily shaken from the ,curtain by rota-tion of the crank 26 and gear 25. The gear moves the curtain on the track 24, the rollers 23. will run over the projections 246 and a vertical shaking motion will 'be given to the curtain as the rollers are run applied at the end thereof. The material can thus be readily shaken from the curtain without entering the cabinet.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a simple and improved method and apparatus for drying liquid and semi-liquid materials. The air is effectively delivered and directed in the cabinet and comes into eflicient contact with the material, which latter is quickly and thoroughly dried in finely divided form. The device has been thoroughly demonstrated in actual practice and found to be Very successful and efficient.

It will, of course, be understood, that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts of the apparatus and in the steps and sequence of steps of themethod without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists 'in a method and apparatus capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the novel parts and combinations of parts, as well as the steps and sequence .of steps disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A drying apparatus comprising a casing, means for centrifugally distributing liquid or semi-liquid materia-l adjacent the top of said casing in an umbrella-like shower, means for directing airdownwardly through said shower, and means adjacent the bottom of the casing and at the central portion thereof for directing a. whirl of air upwardly.

2. An apparatus for drying liquid and semi-liquid material having in combination, a casing, means adjacent the top of said casing for centrifugally distributing the material in finely divided form in an umbrella-` like shower, means for directing air downwardly through said shower at the outer side thereof, and means disposed substantially centrally of said casing adjacent its bottom for directing a whirl of air upwardly in said casing.

3. An apparatus for drying liquid andw semi-liquid material having in combination, a casing, means adjacent the top of said casing for centrifugally distributing the material in finely divided form in an umbrellalike shower, means for directing air downwardly through said shower, and means disposed substantially centrally of said casing adjacent its bottom for directing 'a whirl of air upwardly in said casing, said casing having exhaust means for 4the air and material above said last mentioned means disposed closer to said last mentioned means than to saidfirst mentioned means.

4. An apparatus for drying liquid or semiliquid material comprising a casing into which the material is sprayed `centrally at the top thereof, and means spaced from the side walls of said casing adjacent-the bottom of the casing and at the central portion thereof for directing a current of air upwardly and helically therein whereby the material falls in a shower into an upwardly rising helical current of air.

5. An apparatus 'for drying liquid or semiliquid material comprising a chamber, means spaced from the side walls of said chamber disposed adjacent the bottom of said chamber and substantially at the center thereof for directing air upwardly therein in a whirl, and means adjacentthe top of thechamber and at the center thereof for centrifugally spraying said liquid therein, said chamber having an outlet for said air between said means.

6. A desiccator comprising a desiccating chamber, means forsupplying heated gases thereto, a discharge head through which saidgases pass for delivering said gases in a whirl about a vertical axis, said head being spaced from the side walls of said chamber and disposed substantially at the center thereof and means above said head and disposed substantially at the center of said chamber for spraying material outwardly and downwardly in an umbrella-like shower.

7. A desiccator comprising a desiccating chamber, means for supplying heated gases thereto, an-invertedconical discharge head having helical vanes through which said gases pass, said head being located centrallv within said chamber and means above said head and disposed substantially at the center of saidchamber for'spraying material outwardly and downwardly in an umbrella-like shower.

8. A desiccator comprising a desiccating chamber, means for supplying heated gases thereto, a discharge head through which said gases pass upwardly, said head being located centrally within said chamber vand at the lower portion thereof, means located adjacent the top of said chamber for centrifugally spraying liquid therein in an umbrellalike shower and means adjacent the top of said chamber, for directing gases downwardly therein. y

9. The method ofvdrying liquid or semiliquid materia-l which consists in centrifugally spraying the same in a substantially unobstructed chamber, directing a blast of heated air downwardly therethrough at the Iouter 3side thereof, and simultaneously dier, directing a blast of heated `air downwardly through said shower, substantially at all points circumferentially thereof, and simultaneously directing a whirl of heated air upao A Wa-rdly through said material substantially at the center thereof.

l1. A desiccating apparatus having in combination, a chamber, means for supplying heated gases thereto, a discharge head through which said gases pass, constructed and arranged to deliver said gases in a Whirl upwardly about a vertical axis, said head being disposed substantially centrally wit-hin said chamber, and means above said head supported adjacent and supported from the top of said chamber for distributing mate-` rial to be dried therein, said chamber being unobstructed between said head and said last mentioned means.

12. The structure set forth in claim 11, said head being of inverted conical shape and having helically disposed vanes.

13. An apparatus for. drying liquid an semi-liquid material having in combination, a casing, means adjacent the top of said casing for centrifugally distributing the material in finely-divided form in an umbrellalike shower, means for directing airv downtending downwardly a considerable distance adjacent the walls of said cabinet adapted to receive material projected outwardly, and means for removing material collecting on said curtain therefrom.

15. An apparatus for drying liquid and semi-liquid material having in combination, a" casing, means a'djacentthe top of said casing for centrifugally distributing the material in finely divided form in an umbrellalike shower, means for directing air downwardly through said shower, means disposed substantially-centrally of said casing adjacent its bottom for directing a whirl of air upwardly in said casing, a multiplicity of circumferentially spaced openings disposed some distance above said last mentioned means and extending through the wall of said casing through which air is exhausted from said casing, chambers surrounding said casing into Which said air is exhausted, and means for separating dried material from air in said latter chambers, including screens through which the air is passed.

18. A method of drying liquid or semiliquid material which consists in spraying the same in a substantially unobstructed chamber and adjacent the top of said chamber so that the same passes downwardly in an umbrella-like shower, passing heated air ydownwardly through said shower and simultaneously passing air into the center of said chamber adjacent the bottom thereof in an upwardly and outwardly moving Whirl.

19. An apparatus for drying liquid or semi-liquid materials comprising a drying chamber, means disposed atf the top of said chamber for projecting the material in a finely divided form in an umbrella-like shower, means at the bottom of said chamber for directing a whirl of heated air upwardly and an outlet means for said air between said means. i

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

. JOHN C. MACLACHLAN.

terial in finely divided form in an umbrellay like shower, means for\ directing air downwardly through said shower, a curtain extending about the walls of said casing and depending in said casing adjacent the top thereof, and means for vibrating said curtain to remove collected material therefrom.

16. The structure s et forth in claim l5, said means comprising a tupporting member for said curtain, rollers carried thereby, a track on which said rollers move, and bumps on said track for causing vertical vibration of said curtain as said rollers move there over.

17. An apparatus for drying liquid and -semi-liquid material having in combination,

a casing, means adjacent the top of said casing for centrifugally distributing-the ma- 

